Thread: 44-40 Reloading/Shooting

Originally Posted by 6x47

Apparently reloaders in the 20's and 30's often hotted the hell out of them which is not clever with a '92 action and plain insane with a '73. I seem to recall reading vels up to 1800fps with 200s but that was ages ago. My orig '92 just gets fed a mild load of 11.5grs of 540 which only gives about 1150fps with bulk 200gr jacketed projs. Those cases are totally unforgiving compared to about anything else.

Did you read the article?

Originally Posted by Jhon

Did you read the article?

If you mean your one, no. What I alluded to was over 20yrs ago so NO clue what it actually was now.

Originally Posted by 6x47

If you mean your one, no. What I alluded to was over 20yrs ago so NO clue what it actually was now.

Just learning about it myself. During the early days for the calibre there were specific hot loads for the 92 only. Discontinued after, predictably, people had mishaps with them in revolvers. The article might be worth a read. Basically what it is saying is that, for e.g., if my Rossi Puma 92 in 44mag will sustain a particular load then the 44-40 in the same make/model of rifle will take the same load but achieve lower pressure due to greater case capacity. Or, the greater case capacity can be utilised to outperform a 44mag so long as you remain within the pressure boundaries for that action. If I understand it correctly...

Apart from doing things because you can, it begs the question of why you would want to? There may be valid answers to that question. I'll see how I go, when I eventually get out there, knocking animals over with a pill doing around 1400fps. See how good my stalking is....

Originally Posted by Jhon

Just learning about it myself. During the early days for the calibre there were specific hot loads for the 92 only. Discontinued after, predictably, people had mishaps with them in revolvers. The article might be worth a read. Basically what it is saying is that, for e.g., if my Rossi Puma 92 in 44mag will sustain a particular load then the 44-40 in the same make/model of rifle will take the same load but achieve lower pressure due to greater case capacity. Or, the greater case capacity can be utilised to outperform a 44mag so long as you remain within the pressure boundaries for that action. If I understand it correctly...

Apart from doing things because you can, it begs the question of why you would want to? There may be valid answers to that question. I'll see how I go, when I eventually get out there, knocking animals over with a pill doing around 1400fps. See how good my stalking is....

It is not the action in the case of the 1892 action handling the pressure it is the cases the old ballon head cases are collectors items and were only ever loaded with black powder
they won't handle modern smokeless loading, The modern cases are not designed to handle .44 mag pressures either they are much thinner in the neck,
There is no point in hot rodding the 44/40 until the 30/30 cam along in 1894 the 44/40 was the king of deer hunting with a velocity around 1200 fps it still kills deer and pigs